P90X Phase 1
Over the last year I've been trying to get into shape. I go through phases where I will hit the gym a couple of times a week for a month or so before phasing out. I just haven't been able to stick to anything.
Then, a couple of weeks ago my friend and co-worker Will told me he was going to start the P90X program, and invite me to join him. I knew a few friends who had tried the program and they all told me it was intense, but if you stuck it through it really does have results. I decided it would be worth it to give it a shot, and having someone going through the program with me would keep me accountable and push me to work harder.
So a few months ago on a Monday I started the 90 day program with an eye opening 1:20 workout involving lots of push ups, pull ups, some resistance bands, and over 300 ab ripping repititions on verious exercises. Needless to say, I couldn't get too many reps done on each excercise but I began to lay the foundation.
I continued the program on Tuesday with the plyometrics session. I was amazed that I could get such a cardio workout without a treadmill or exercise bike. The workout consists of a lot of jumping, lunges, and some simulated sports moves like pitching and shooting a basketball. This was a really fun and challenging workout which left my legs stiff and sore after the first time.
On Wednesday, the program made heavy use of weights or bands to focus on the shoulders and arms. Again, it was obvious that I had a lot of work to do before I was going to be able to keep up with the guys in the video, but I was determined to 'do my best, and forget the rest' (this is the p90x motto).
Thursdays routine was yoga. Having never done yoga before, I expected it would be the easiest workout of the week. BOY. WAS. I. WRONG. This routine destroyed me. With my muscles already sore from the first few days of the program, I could barely keep the poses, and could not effectively complete many of the movements. This was a challenging workout, but it progressed much slower than the other routines in the program and I found it to be quite boring.
On Friday, P90X focused on the legs and back. This meant a lot of squats, lunges, and some very different push ups I had never heard of before. The program finishes with the 30 minute ab ripper program, and by this time I am looking forward to Sundays rest.
Saturdays Kempo X routine is one of the most fast paced and fun of the program. It incorporates lots of punches, blocks, and kicks that provide a different form of workout, but keeps you focused on technique and makes the time fly by.
Finally on Sunday, you get to rest. Or at least you get the OPTION to rest. There is an hour long X Stretch workout that will keep you nimble if you're up to it, but the first week I was ready to take a day off.
I repeated this same 7 day structure for 3 weeks. Each week I was able to do more and more repetitions and I could feel myself getting stronger and feeling healthier. The fourth week of the program lets up a little before you switch to phase 2. Its mainly yoga, X stretch, and some plyometrics.
The first week of the program is easily the most challenging physically. Your body is sore and it doesn't let up. The following couple weeks get easier physically, but then the real challenge of the program begins to become clear. I believe the hardest overall part of P90X is setting aside that hour a day, EVERY DAY. Sometime you want to have breakfast with your girlfriend, or you are a little hung over in the morning and just don't feel like getting up early. But if you stick with it, and keep your schedule, you will see results.
